Tag: France

Existence of Eastern Churches ‘at risk’

August 4, 2016 Global News -- No Particular Country Canada, France, Islamic extremism, Jacques Hamel, Middle East, Quran, Religious freedom

Christians are now an “endangered species” in lands where their faith was first rooted, a prominent ancient church leader warned on 3 August. “The very existence of Eastern Churches, those Churches that come from the apostles’ time, is at stake,” said Patriarch Ignatius Joseph III Younan of the Syriac Catholic . . . Read More

The murder of a French priest has horrified the world. The same thing happens to Christians in lesser-reported places

July 27, 2016 Global News -- No Particular Country Central African Republic, Charlie Hebdo, Egypt, France, Jacques Hamel, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Paris, Sudan

Rev. Jacques HamelEglise Catholique de Rouen The 26 July killing of a Catholic priest in his church in St. Etienne du Rouvray, France, once again has pushed jihadist violence into the headlines. The so-called Islamic State claimed responsibility for the murder, committed by two knife-wielding attackers who were shot and . . . Read More

Christian refugees in Europe still suffering

July 25, 2016 Afghanistan, Europe, France, Germany, Iraq, Islamic extremism, Migrants, Refugees, Syria

, one of the US’s major producers and distributors of public radio programming, has interviewed Christians in German refugee centres – fleeing extremist violence in Iraq and Syria – who have reported intimidation from other refugees. Their programme built on research by Christian charity earlier this year. It found that . . . Read More

Calls for Christian asylum centres in Sweden

April 29, 2016 Assyrians, Asylum seekers, Converts, France, Germany, Iran, Islamic extremism, Middle East, Pakistan, Refugees, Sweden, Women

Increasing reports about Christians harassed by hardline Muslim fellow migrants are prompting calls for non-Muslim asylum centres to be set up in Sweden. According to the Swedish Evangelical Alliance, one Christian refugee in Kalmar in the southeast of the country was threatened with having his throat slit by a man . . . Read More

Calais ‘Jungle’ camp demolition to begin

February 25, 2016 Calais, Europe, France, Grande-Synthe, Migrants, Refugees, Trauma

Local authorities want to move migrants either into more hygienic quarters within converted shipping containers, or to refugee centres across France.Courtesy Marguerite M. Horner French authorities have been told that they can demolish the southern part of the Calais migrant camp known as the “Jungle”. Calais is one of . . . Read More

Calais ‘Jungle’ to be demolished

February 23, 2016 Calais, France, Grande-Synthe, Migrants, Refugees, UK

The southern half of the “Jungle” migrant camp in Calais, northern France, will be demolished tomorrow (24 Feb.), as French authorities seek to move migrants into converted shipping containers outside the camp or refugee centres across the country. It will affect between 1,000 and 3,000 people; thousands of migrants currently . . . Read More

Church and mosque demolished in refugee camp

February 3, 2016 Calais, France, Migrants, Refugees

A makeshift church and mosque that had been constructed in a refugee camp in northern France have been demolished by the authorities, . An official said they were attempting to clear a 100m security zone around the perimeter of the Calais camp known as the “Jungle”, but a charity spokesman . . . Read More

Clerics tell Muslims to protect minorities

January 29, 2016 Global News -- No Particular Country Africa, Belgium, Europe, France, Islamic extremism, Marrakesh, Morocco, United Arab Emirates

More than 250 Muslim scholars, from over 120 countries, have called for religious freedom for non-Muslims in majority-Muslim countries. In a declaration signed on 27 January in Marrakesh, Morocco, the clerics said that it is wrong to discriminate against religious minorities in Muslim countries. They paid particular attention to Muhammad’s . . . Read More

‘We won’t let diversity of ME disappear’

September 9, 2015 Global News -- No Particular Country Europe, France, Iraq, Islamic State, Jordan, Lebanon, Middle East, Paris, Syria, Turkey, UN, Yazidis

A UN conference has announced a plan to protect minorities persecuted by the so-called Islamic State in the Middle East. Speaking at the conference in Paris of 60 countries on Tuesday, 8 Sep., French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said several countries would announce financial pledges in the coming months for . . . Read More

Iceland makes blasphemy legal

July 3, 2015 Blasphemy, Charlie Hebdo, Elections, France, Iceland, Sweden

Iceland’s parliament has abolished its blasphemy laws, despite opposition from some of the country’s churches, reports the BBC. A bill was put forward in response to the attack against the French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, by Iceland’s minority Pirate Party, which campaigns for internet and data freedom. The Pirate movement . . . Read More

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